Going Above & Beyond: Nils Grandelius
There's a big part about Chessable courses that we sometimes forget - they're living things. They’re like books, in that they contain a lot of similar information to chess books. Theory gets updated, mistakes get amended and authors react to the latest information.
So in this series, Going Above & Beyond, we're highlighting the authors who go above and beyond to keep their courses up to date, answer your questions, and make their courses the best they can be.
This week we’re highlighting Swedish #1 GM Nils Grandelius. He has added new lines and explanations in the Grand Ruy Lopez, Lifetime Repertoires: Classical Slav and The Magnus Queen’s Gambit. We caught up with Nils and asked him about these latest updates.
What made you decide to update your courses?
“In general I try to update my courses on a regular basis. One of the great advantages that Chessable has compared to books, is precisely this ability to update regularly. Especially with opening courses this is important, as there are constantly new games played and new ideas found. As I am following my courses in my own games, I get a lot of personal practical experience, which makes it particularly interesting to discuss with the students!”
What are you most proud of in your courses?
"There are, of course, many interesting new ideas, concepts, and discoveries throughout all of my courses, but the one thing I am by far most proud of is the wide reach my courses have gotten. It makes me very happy when both average club players and even players who have only played online, as well as numerous players from the world elite, tell me how much they enjoyed my courses."
What else are you working on these days?
"Currently, I am actually not working on any courses at all. I just finished updating all my courses and will now focus on my own playing career for a while, with lots of interesting tournaments lined up. But once my hectic tournament schedule is over, I'll for sure be back with more courses! As for what the future courses will be about - I would love to hear some suggestions."
What’s your philosophy on course creation?
"My philosophy has always been quality over quantity. I would much rather publish a few well-made courses than many of lower quality. The term 'quality' refers not only to the moves but also the explanations. Generally, the ambition is that the moves should be of good enough quality also for very strong players, while at the same time the explanations must make it understandable for average club players. I will not publish the course until both of these two parameters meet my standards! Apart from that, a very important thing to me is that the positions reached lead to interesting chess. If you are looking for the driest way to equalize in a mathematical sense, my courses are not for you. But if you are looking for fighting chess with interesting play (for both sides!), often in underestimated sidelines, then my courses are definitely for you!"
Alongside Nils’s opening courses, he has just released Crash Course: Playing with Dynamic Compensation. This course is a masterclass on how to play dynamic positions when you’re down material - a must-have for any aspiring attacking player.
